Mizuno Wave Mujin 9

I had been running away from the Mujin versions of Mizuno for a long time. I don't know, maybe because era in love with the incredible Mizuno Ascend or with what for me was a cult shoe, the Mizuno Cabrakan (both models I keep in my "shoe of fame shelf"), and when they stopped being manufactured and the Mujin appeared, replacing the Cabrakan, with an innovative system called Xtatic Ride (a group of new design elements focused on providing greater dynamism and safety to the shoe), my sensations were regular and I stopped using them.

But everything changed with the Mizuno Wave Mujin 8. A complete restyling that reminded me of many of the sensations I had with the previous models. Well, with this new version, the Mizuno Wave Mujin 9 I am delighted. From the first moment I put them on I felt great: support and comfort in equal parts. So much so that I just tried them and went out for a long run without any problems.

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Running I had very balanced feelings with these renewed Mizuno Wave Mujin 9 in the main aspects when analyzing a shoe:

• Protection.
• Comfort.
• Support.
• Stability.
• Grip on unstable surfaces.

Ideal runner and paces for the Mizuno Wave Mujin 9

The ideal profile would be a runner of medium/high weight (above 85 kg. in men and 70 kg. in women) looking for a versatile shoe for any distance (although you will get much more out of it in long distances).

In this sense and due to what we have already said about its versatility, we should not worry about the type of footprint we have or even use custom insoles, as it has a very generous box and fantastic stability.

The ideal paces for the Mizuno Wave Mujin 9 are quiet, above the 5:00 min/km in competition and even quieter in training, although if you want to push them a little harder, don't worry, they will respond.

What we liked most about the Mizuno Wave Mujin 9

Like the Mizuno Wave Mujin 8 version, one of the aspects that I liked the most is both the design of the outsole with its wide, asymmetrical and bidirectional lugs and theDC rubber compound proposed by Michelin, which in this case is a slightly lighter compound than the previous version.

The drop in weight is a plus in this case(about 20 grams in the men's version and more than 35 grams in the women's) standing at 340 gr. and 288gr. respectively, because contrary to what has happened in other models of shoes when the weight is lowered, the Mizuno Wave Mujin is a...

the Mizuno Wave Mujin 9 continues to transmit a lot of security when running on technical terrain.

The midsole design is also something to highlight. The famous wave plates visible from the outside and that have given so much joy to the Japanese brand, thanks to the incredible stability control and projection during the tread that they provided, are disappearing from the new models. Now it is called Mizuno Foam Wave technology and consists of using two foams of different densities and fitting one into the other throughout the midsole.

In this case they have designed the midsole combining the U4icX foam in the upper part looking for the foot for its great cushioning, stability and reactivity (approximately with a hardness of 45 Shore) and below the current Mizuno star foam, the Mizuno Enerzy (35 Shore), a material capable of absorbing even more impacts and to return that energy to provide greater thrust during the race.

And all this by performing a "tetris-like" design where the different foams fit together in search of that extra cushioning, stability and reactivity. A smart way to replace the wave plate looking for the same functionality.

There are a couple of details in the upper that I also love:

On the one hand the external stabilizing tensors that Mizuno designers have proposed that go from the eyelet to the midsole, looking for solutions to improve the sensations of support and stability (the logo of the "roadrunner" of the brand just adds up when inserting it in the upper looking for more support).

On the other hand, the two internal elements with the same objective of supporting and stabilizing the footprint: the half-gusset tongue (it has two lateral straps that anchor the tongue and prevent it from moving while running) and other extra reinforcements designed to complement the rest of the stabilizing elements and that are placed in a very intelligent way, leaving more flexibility and ventilation in the rest of the upper.

Opportunities for improvements for the Mizuno Wave Mujin 9

As I said, this new version is very balanced, but if I were to think about what could be improved, I would perhaps recommend a modification of the profile. The drop is ideal for long distances; 10mm, but the approximate profile of 38mm-28mm I would modify it in a 38-30 leaving the drop of 8mm, but providing some more protection in the metas area, especially thinking about the long distances and the needs that a heavy runner may have.

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Personally I have little fatty tissue in the sole of the foot, with the passage of the kms. I noticed more and more the stones in the metatarsal area.

With what other trail running shoes can we compare the Mizuno Wave Mujin 9?

The segment of multipurpose trail runningshoes for long distances is fashionable, but not so much when what we are looking for is to provide stability and comfort for many kms and designed for a profile of runner / a somewhat higher weight. Even so I recommend a series of shoes that could compete with these Mizuno Wave Mujin 9

HOKA Mafate Speed 4

ASICS Trabuco Max 2

New Balance Fresh Foam x Hierro v7

Salomon Ultra Glide 2

Brooks Cascadia 16

Final conclusions on the Mizuno Wave Mujin 9

I think that the Japanese brand has managed to evolve for good a saga that with this ninth version of the Wave Mujin is already beginning to be a shoe of weight in the world "zapateril" but not only at the level of design but also at the level of choice of materials, since this time much of the materials used for their manufacture are recycled and that says a lot about a brand and commitment to the environment.

There are not many shoes on the market that provide cushioning and protection in medium and heavy runners and that perform as well as these Mizuno Wave Mujin 9 in all types of terrain and long distances.

RUNNEA tester's rating

• Lightweight: 7
• Responsiveness: 8.
• Cushioning: 9
• Stability: 9.
• Flexibility: 7
• Grip: 9